"Boys get the message that computing is a great career, but girls don't, and that
drives me crazy," says Linda Ott, recipient of Michigan Tech's first Diversity Award.

Back in the early 1980s, about 35–40 percent of the undergraduates in Linda Ott’s
introductory computer science courses were women. Since then, that number has been
on a downward slide.

There’s no good reason for that, says Ott, a professor of computer science at Michigan
Technological University. “Many of those early students went off and had amazing careers,”
she said. “It really troubles me that so many young women don’t understand what exciting,
rewarding careers they can have in computer science.”

Ott decided to do something about it. For the last 25 years, she has devoted a large
chunk of her time and energy to opening the eyes of women and girls to the joys, both
personal and financial, of a computer science education. For her efforts, she has
become the first recipient of Michigan Tech’s Diversity Award.

The award “recognizes the accomplishments of a faculty and/or staff member who contributes
to diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership and actions.”

“Linda is the key figure behind the highly successful Women in Computer Science summer
programs,” wrote Charles Wallace, associate professor and interim chair of computer
science, who nominated her for the award. She also hired four female computer science
faculty members and initiated the department’s sponsorship of the Grace Hopper Celebration
of Women in Computing, supporting students who attend the annual event.

Ott spearheaded an effort to have the computer science department included in Pacesetters,
a program with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) devoted
to increasing the number of women in computing. She also initiated the Michigan NCWIT
Aspirations in Computing Awards, which recognize high school girls for their computing
skills and interests. And she is a founder of the Michigan Celebration of Women in
Computing conference, aimed at supporting female computing students.

Ott has been working with Admissions to increase the number of women enrolled in computing
programs, from phoning applicants to hosting a Google Hangout for prospective students.
“Linda is passionate about encouraging young women to pursue careers in computer science,”
wrote Allison Carter, director of admissions. “In just one year, her efforts are paying
off.” Applications have risen 14 percent in the year that Ott has been involved in
recruitment.

Ott also earned praise from Laura Dillon, a professor of computer science at Michigan
State University, who cited her many accomplishments, including efforts to bring more
minorities into computing. In particular, she helped lead the Pan-American Software
Quality Institute in Costa Rica, reaching out to Latin American students, who are
underrepresented in computer science programs.

“Linda is passionate about increasing diversity in computing,” said Dillon. “She has
worked tirelessly and has put in countless volunteer hours to inspire women and minorities
to pursue their interests and realize their potential. She is exceptionally reliable,
and she gets the job done. Moreover, her can-do attitude and good humor make her a
delight to work with.”

Ott believes the gender imbalance started when boys began to co-opt school computers
to play games and girls began to drift away. But that’s only part of the problem.

“Boys get the message that computing is a great career, but girls don’t, and that
drives me crazy,” she said. “Computer programming is so exciting, so rewarding, and
it impacts everything. And girls don’t know this.”

Ott took her first programming class in high school and was hooked. “I was attracted
to computing because of the thrill of seeing programs that I wrote actually solve
real problems,” she said. “I think it’s terrible that most students don’t have that
opportunity anymore.” Most schools don’t even offer a legitimate computer science
course, and the few that do don’t require it for graduation. “If it’s not required,
it’s easy to talk yourself out of it,” she said. “But somehow the guys still give
it a shot, and the girls don’t.”

“That’s what’s driven me to be involved with high school kids,” said Ott. “I looked
at what was going on and decided somebody’s got to do something, and it might as well
be me.”

Ott said she felt honored to receive Michigan Tech’s first Diversity Award. “It is
really exciting that the University is making this kind of recognition,” she said.
“I’d also like to express my gratitude to the retired faculty and staff who worked
before me and with me on a range of diversity issues. Their efforts haven’t been recognized
in such a public way, but they’ve done so much to make Michigan Tech a better place
for everyone.”

Five other members of the University community were nominated for the Diversity Award.
They include

• William Predebon, chair of mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics, for spearheading
initiatives to increase the diversity of his department’s faculty, students and staff;

• Jacque Smith, director of graduate enrollment services, for efforts to recruit members
of underrepresented groups, particularly to the STEM disciplines, and to provide them
with support;

• Darnishia Slade, assistant director of international programs and services, for
a variety of endeavors that support the success of women, minority and international
students; and

• Thy Yang, director of international programs and services, for hosting programs
that help integrate international students into the culture of the Copper Country
and the US, from traditional Thanksgiving dinners to trips to the Mall of America.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than
7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than
120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.